Secret Sundays: Shop Smarter with the Shop Disney Parks App

By: Amy Kawa

In this series on Dreams on Main Street, we will provide a Disney insider secret each week that we feel will enhance your Disney vacation experience and/or the planning process leading up to your actual vacation. Big or small, these secrets are things we have found extremely useful and use on each and every one of our vacations. Some may be more “secret-y” and/or random than others, but I promise, they’re all true and valuable.

Dreamers Secret Sunday: Use the Shop Disney Parks app to find that perfect souvenir at home or in the parks.

Everyone knows about the My Disney Experience app – the go-to, must-have official Disney app. Another, very handy app that is officially put out and licensed by Disney, but less well-known, is the Shop Disney Parks app. This app, available via the iTunes store or Google Play store, is free to download.

Once on the Shop Disney Parks app, you can browse for any item that you can find in the Disney parks – apparel, household items, pins, toys, some food items, and even hotel toiletries! Once you find an item you like, there are options to buy the item now, add it to your cart for later purchase, or find the item on a map of Walt Disney World- pointing out every shop that currently has the item you’re interested in in-stock.

The app is really really cool for two major reasons. First, it helps you bring pieces of the Disney Parks home with you, and if you’re suffering from buyer’s remorse, where there was something that you had your eye on, but decided not to buy, you can now buy that sucker without having to wait for your next trip. The other thing that makes this app invaluable actually happens inside the parks. The map feature is incredibly useful. If you have found an item you’re interested in, check the map to see where you can buy it at a location closest to you. You also have the ability to scan an item’s barcode in the app. The item then appears in the app, bringing you the options to buy it through the app or at the other locations on the Disney Parks map and the surrounding resort hotel gift shops.

Sometimes, the item you want to buy is too big to carry around or you want to wait until you’re at Mouse Gear to buy it along with some other things. The app allows you the flexibility to make sure that the item is in stock in other stores so you feel comfortable waiting and also allows you to buy the item through the app and ship it to your home address if it’s just too big or fragile to bring home with you.

The Shop Disney Parks app allows you to login with your Disney credentials and automatically syncs with your My Disney Experience account. Therefore, your home address is used as your shipping address, so essentially, one-click shopping can be setup (dangerous for us Disney fanatics).

Whether you’re in the Disney Parks or sitting on your couch, the Shop Disney Parks app is a must-have for any Disney fan looking to add some Disney magic to their collections anytime or buy some magic for their family and friends this holiday season.